1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of racks, frames and cabinets for mounting and storing electronic components, and, more particularly, to reduced-complexity structures with high strength and capacity.
2. Background
Racks, frames and cabinets for mounting and storing electronic components have been well known for many years. Frames and racks are typically simple rectangular frameworks on which electronic components may be mounted, or on which other mounting members, such as shelves or brackets, may be mounted which in turn may support the electronic components. Cabinets are typically frames on which panels or doors, or both, are hung to provide aesthetic improvement, to protect the components from external influences, to provide security for the components stored inside, or for other reasons. Racks, frames and cabinets (sometimes collectively referred to hereinafter as “enclosures”) have been built in many different sizes and with many different proportions in order to best accommodate the components which they are designed to store.
Various aspects of these structures have increased part counts and weight and created additional cost and manufacturing complications. In one example, it has been difficult to use casters on such structures without either decreasing strength and rigidity or significantly increasing manufacturing cost through additional steps and parts. In another example, side rails have typically been attached using either welded or bolt construction, with the former being more time-consuming and less convenient for shipping or disassembling, and the latter requiring fasteners to accurately locate the frame slides so as to maintain a standard equipment rail spacing (i.e., EIA 310D). When countersunk screws have been employed to locate and position these members, such frame geometries employed several brackets, welded to the door threshold; the accuracy of this method often requires significant post-processing to meet the standard rail spacing requirements. In still another example, in frame structures that are manufactured from two vertical posts with horizontal members connecting their upper and lower ends (common in both two- and four-post cabinets), welding is often used to fasten the various members together, but this manufacturing process normally requires the frame structure to be flipped over, often on a weld fixture, such that welding can be carried out from both sides.
Other problems with existing rack, frame and cabinet structures are also known. For example, electrical grounding throughout the structure is often a problem, as is thermal sealing of panels relative to the side rails. With regard to the latter, panels often interact with other panels or with frame members via butt joints, which are prone to air leaks.
For these and other reasons, a need exists for improved design and manufacturability in racks, frames and cabinets.